The Onyx Stars
Halo-Mass Effect Crossover
By: Sith
AN: Tons of thanks to WarpObscura, Imperial Waltz, Atlan and Spartan303 (Jon Harper on FF), again, for beta-ing and helping the plot be smoothed out. Also, wow! Reaction to this is stellar!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
TO REINFORCE I KNOW that MAC rounds are 600 tons and SMAC rounds are 3000 tons, changing them to be smaller was my own prerogative in order for future plot and pure logic of more munitions available and more power available to accelerate the round to greater yields. Please, do not bring it up.
****Certain characters, technology, events and objects have been changed for the purpose of the story.****
Here's Chapter 6: The Link, part 1
Enjoy :)
3 Sith
Chapter Six: The Link, part 1
UNSC Infinity
"Twenty contacts! Ten thousand kilometers out!" Roland reported, "They have blockaded the planet and arefocused around where New Alexandria would be in our universe."
The holotable's display reformatted, now showing the Infinity, her ten escorts, and Broadsword squadrons a foot away from the blockading flotilla. Targeting lines were drawn up and data scrolled beside each hostile contact.
Lasky clasped his hands behind his back and called up a display. The blockading ships were in a loose arrowhead formation and ranged in size from a few dozen meters to an 800-meter long pirate dreadnought. There were several swarms of fighters darting in between the much larger capital ships. Drop ships scurried between the surface of the planet and the attacking fleet.
"Roland, scan the vessels." Lasky ordered, "Lieutenant Austen, target them but do not fire. If they're Turian, I don't want this to turn into a shooting match or diplomatic rat's nest."
Roland paused momentarily as the Infinity's powerful sensors reached out into space and returned terabytes of data, "They're not Turian, Captain. Their bio readings match up to that of the non-aligned species called the Batarians."
"Any info on them?" Lasky asked. The Batarian fleet started turning towards the Infinity and he could see the fighters starting to race forward on the zoomed-in screen.
"Aye, Captain. The Batarians are fond of slavery, malice, piracy, and are antagonistic towards the Alliance." Roland responded. "I have scanned their vessels and the planet below. Several of their ships have human life signs with UNSC transponders onboard."
"Does their flagship have any UNSC transponders on board?" Lasky asked.
"No." Roland responded flatly. His expression changed and a twitch of a smile appeared for the briefest of a second.
Lasky's gaze hardened, "Lieutenant Austen, open fire, main battery. Target their flagship, full power."
"Aye, sir." Lieutenant Austen replied. The enemy flagship was highlighted a brilliant red on the holotable's projection. "Energy projectors away."
The Infinity's bow came to life as two brilliant silver beams lanced across space and dissected the Batarian flagship. The burning beams of energy slashed through the 800-meter long vessel's kinetic barriers, cored through the meters of ceramic armor, and struck the reactor. The entire vessel exploded, ribbing and aflame chunks tumbling in space.
"Good shooting, Lieutenant." Lasky commented.
"Thank you, sir." Austen responded, "Shall I fire again?"
"No." Lasky said firmly, "Roland, open communications. I want everything that can pick up a signal to get this message."
Roland shrugged, "Done."
Lasky tapped his earpiece, "This is Captain Tom Lasky, commander of the UNSC Infinity and her escorts. Surrender your human prisoners to us and we will allow you to live. Forgo our option and your fate will be very much similar to that of your commander's. You have 60 seconds to lower your shields and deactivate your weapons as a sign of surrender before I start destroying your ships. Lasky, out."
Roland crossed his arms, mentally ticking down the time. "Captain, they aren't surrendering."
"Give them a few more seconds." Lasky said, "Maybe they have some lag."
Roland rolled his eyes, "Still not surrendering."
"Blow them out of the sky." Lasky said.
"Aye, sir." Roland responded.
"All forces, this is Lasky. Begin the assault!" Lasky walked towards the holotable as the projections of Freelancer and the various Obsidians raced away from Infinity. Pirate ships were blinking off the display at a rapid rate and the ones with UNSC prisoners onboard were disabled. Alien mass driver rounds slammed into the shields of the UNSC forces, giving them moments of pause but ultimately it was futile. The Infinity had moved to deliver a broadside towards the enemy fleet. 70mm railgun and Onager slugs, pulse lasers and missiles shot out of their housings and slammed into the surviving alien fleet. Explosions dotted the fleet as Batarian fighters and frigates died en masse.
"Enemy fleet neutralized, Captain." Roland reported, "No casualties."
Lasky looked to the command staff, "Good work everyone."
"Sir." A communications ensign said, "I have a Captain James Cutter on the line."
Lasky tapped his earpiece. "Captain Cutter."
The radio buzzed with static and the sounds of explosions. Assault Rifles roared in the background along with the deep boom of a tank-borne railgun firing. "Infinity Actual, we need immediate assistance. We have xeno forces amassing around the city. Armored forces have breached the west gate and we have street-to-street fighting in the southern districts. Any assistance you could send would be greatly appreciated!"
"Captain, this is Infinity Actual. We have forces en route. The bad guys are going to be for a world of hurt in about 10 minutes."
Cutter's assault rifle roared over the radio channel, "Understood Infinity! Good to have you here. Cutter, out."
Lasky supported himself on the holotable, "Roland, move us into orbit. Have Palmer and 117 ready for immediate drop."
"Aye, sir." Roland replied. "Done. They'll be deploying in ten. 117 will be leading the armored forces of Gypsy and Timber Wolf."
Lasky quickly ran through the composition of the two companies. Gypsy and Timber Wolf companies combined had over 75 M808C Scorpion Main Battle Tanks, 8 Mammoths, 120 Mantis mechs, dozens of Sparrow Hawk and Vulture gunships, scores of Warthogs of various types and 4 HRUNTING Mark III (B) Cyclops Mark II Heavy Mechs. It was a significant force and that large of a force being deployed was enough to give even the largest of Storm armies pause. They would form the spearhead of the assault force against the Batarians while Commander Palmer would lead Horizon and Eternity division, a duo of mixed divisions composing of primarily air assets, infantry, and light attack vehicles. Six Spartan Fire Teams would be the primary infantry assault force, deploying behind enemy lines and wrecking havoc while 117 and Palmer took on the main elements.
"Roland, have Marine Battalions Alpha through Charlie deploy to Cutter's main city to help clean out the enemy from the buildings." Lasky added. "If need be, Spartan Fire Team Lancer will be deployed to assist them."
"Aye, sir." The AI replied.
"One more thing, Roland."
"Yes, sir?"
Lasky looked over to the AI, "How long ago do you think they settled here? Their city is massive and seemingly well equipped."
The holotable's projection transformed into that of the city. A massive wall encircled the settlementand multiple anti-air batteries and other weapons dotted the top. The aft section of the wall and city was built into a dense mountain range dotted with hidden weapon emplacements. There were several multi-level buildings inside the wall with one massive structure dominating the center. Lasky knew its profile, it was the grounded form of the UNSC Spirit of Fire. Behind it was a massive skyscraper, at least twenty stories tall. It had a dark black sheen and reached high above the wall.
Roland leaned back on his left hip, "At least ten years, judging by the level of urbanization and development. It's amazing, they've designed this city to be easily defendable and the interior layout of the roads and such harkens back to ancient designs meant to confuse and disorientate any invaders."
"So, they're well prepared." Lasky responded.
"Aye, sir." Roland said, "And, judging by sub-surface scans, they have a significant portion of their manufacturing, administration, and military forces below surface or inside the hollowed-out mountain." Roland's expression soured, "Wait a minute..."
"What?" Lasky inquired.
"I'm detecting several surface-to-space batteries, mainly Mark 3 M109 Tiger Coil Guns installed in several smaller mountains around the main city. There are bombardment craters from mass drivers around the base of the Tigers, it seems to be that this isn't the first time Cutter has been attacked."
"Sir." Lieutenant Commander Sebastian interjected.
"What is it?" Lasky asked.
"Three surviving Batarian vessels have been grouped together and are surrounded by Obsidians 3-9. They're the ones with UNSC transponders onboard."
Lasky crossed his arms, "Roland, have CommanderAnsil board the vessels and secure our crew. Capture their commanders if possible."
"Aye, sir." Roland replied, "Oh, 117 and Palmer are deploying now. Spartan Fire Teams will drop in five."
"Thank you, Roland." Lasky said, "All deployed Broadswords are to go on patrol and assist the ground forces if needed. Obsidian 3 and 4 are to be on station."
UNSC Freelancer
Commander Jennifer Ansil was a tall woman with steely blue eyes, aristocratic features, and light brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore her uniform with ease, she was a career soldier and it showed. Her expression remained neutral as she sat in her command chair. Her eyes studied the display that was a 15 inches from her eyes. The remaining Batarian fighters were amassing on a direct assault on her vessel.
"Weapons." Jennifer barked out, "All pulse lasers, ready to fire. Set to range of 500 kilometers. Fire when in range."
Her weapons officer nodded and the display switched to that of an exterior camera on the top of the Freelancer. The bumps of laser emitters glowed red and the light-speed bolts of radiation lanced out. The Batarian fighters exploded, irradiated husks all that remained.
"Main line has breached our defenses." Jennifer's sensors officer reported.
Jennifer nodded, "Bring Onagers online, fire when ready."
"Aye, ma'am. Onagers online."
Her display switched to that of a Onager's gun recording camera. White streaks slashed away from Freelancer, Batarian fighters shattering without as much as an explosion as the multi-centimeter slug penetrated the thin hull and gutted the fragile craft.
More fighters winked off the screen until none remained. The Infinity had taken orbit directly above the Spirit Of Fire's settlement with escort Obsidians flanking her. The Broadswords had begun dropping into atmosphere, likely beginning attack runs.
"Ma'am." Her communications officer said, "I have Roland on the line."
Jennifer looked over to the man and nodded, "Pipe it through."
He nodded quickly, "Yes, ma'am."
"Commander Ansil." Roland's pleasant voice came through.
"Roland, what can I do for your fine captain?" Jennifer responded. She pushed the display arm away and walked towards the bridge window. It was blocked by thick sheets of armor, but that would soon change. She could hear the hydraulics groan as they pushed the multi-ton bridge back out of the armor belt of Freelancer.
"Captain Lasky wants you to rescue UNSC personnel from several of those captured Batarian vessels. Capturing the Pirate Captains would also be nice."
Jennifer crossed her arms, watching as drop pods, Pelicans, pods, and Mechs emerged from the Infinity like a swarm of angry bees. Thousands of soldiers, hundreds of vehicles, dozens of fighters were being deployed onto the planet below.
"Roland, tell Captain Lasky we'll be ready." Jennifer said, "I'll have the Headhunters assemble."
"Aye, ma'am. Good luck."The channel was cut.
Jennifer turned to her second-in-command, a towering figure dressed in olive green armor. The side of his face was dominated bya tattoo of a fist full of arrows. He cradled a MJOLNIR Scout helmet with a thin gold visor.
Spartan Jun-A266.
"Sergeant Major." Jennifer said.
"Commander." Jun responded calmly.
"I want you to take the Headhunters and secure those vessels. Freelancer and a few Obsidians will be observing and carrying reinforcements if need be."
Jun nodded, "I can do that. Capture or kill any alien commanders?"
"Capture them alive. Infinity Actual is going to interrogate them, find out why they attacked." Jennifer told Jun, "And, if you could, find a way to access their database and download as much of it as you can."
Jun nodded, "Understood."
Jennifer turned away from the window and walked back towards her command chair. "These aliens wanted to mess with humanity. Let's show them how we respond to such aggression."
Gypsy Company
Pelican 412
On surface
John's boots hit the ground with a thud, his motion sensors instantly coming alive and scanning the surrounding area. Four red pings blinked on the small display and he snapped his DMR up. Four .338 Lapua MagnumDepleted Uranium-Armor Piercing rounds streaked across the field and impaled the Batarians in the forehead. Their craniums exploded like watermelons being hit with an auto cannon as the heavy caliber round passed through them at hypersonic velocities. John rolled to the side as the rest of Fireteam Venator disembarked.
ATEN drones quickly zoomed towards the outcropping of buildings that lay beyond the partially destroyed section of the City wall and the HUSAD slowly lowered itself onto the ground, ocular sensor probing. Together, the hundreds of drones being deployed by Gypsy and Timber Wolf companies alone linked and began sharing data, forming a massive repository of data and information.
John looked up at the sky; dozens of Pelicans, Albatross, and fighters streaked by, leaving supersonic lines in their wake. M808C Scorpions, Warthogs, Mantis Mechs, and dozens of other vehicles were being deployed. The booms of railguns and the hissing of missiles rapidly becoming louder and more numerous as the full power of Infinity was deployed.
"John, Major Stacker is leading the armored attack." Cortana said, "But there's been a change of plans."
"What is that?" John inquired. He and Venator started moving towards the opening in the City's wall, neutralizing the few Batarians that got in their way.
"Infinity has detected Spartan IDs." Cortana said simply, "It's Red Team."
John's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Jerome, Alice, and Douglas were alive? He steeled himself, "What's their situation?"
"Pinned down, enemy forces converging on their position." Cortana quickly rattled off, "I have Infinity's bombardment guns online but Red Team is held up in a power generation plant. If I destroy it, we all die in a 50 megaton boom."
John stopped for a second, "Tell Captain Lasky I am moving to rendezvous with Red Team."
"Done." Cortana responded instantly, "What about Venator?"
John looked back. Venator had been stopped at a secondary wall where dozens of Batarians and several turrets formed a choke hold.
"Fireteam Venator, suppression fire!" John barked as he grabbed a M67 Frag Grenade from his waist.
"Understood." Daniel responded. His Basilisk Assault Rifle kept rattling, a Batarian suddenly missing the majority of its torso.
Melinda momentarily peeked out of cover and put a blanket of .50 caliber bullets down range. Several Batarians were reduced to pink mist, completely eviscerated by the concentrated fire while the majority simply took cover to allow their shields to recharge. She rolled back into cover, alien bullets nipping at her shields.
John pumped his legs and sprinted towards the opening, his modified armor channeling more energy into his shields. He could feel bullets slap at his shields and the meter was rapidly dropping. He primed the grenade and threw it at the base of the foremost turret. It exploded, sparks, debris, and guts dousing the aliens next to it. John ran and jumped, leaping into the air. He landed with a massive crash to the ground and grabbed the neck of the nearest alien. He clenched it, hearing the sickening crunch of bones before hurling the dead alien at one of its comrades. Both slammed into the wall with incredible force, slumping to the ground and leaving a bloody stain.
One of the Batarians had a shotgun and brought John's shields down. The Spartan rolled to the side, kicked the Batarian in the mid riff and followed up with an upper cut. The Batarian screamed before his neck was broken. John grabbed the falling body, turned and used it as a shield. With one hand, John grabbed one of his submachine guns while the other hand held the body by the neck.
His submachine gun fired in four quick bursts and a Batarian's head exploded. By now, one of the gunners had managed to swing his turret around. Heavy caliber bullets dropped John's partialy-recharged shields immediately and he felt them strike against his armor. He rolled to the side, activating the photo reactive panels on his armor and grabbing his DMR.
He ran forward, blending into the environment like a camealon. The Batarian was still firing blindly, a seemingly never ending stream of bullets lashing out and destroying everything. John snuck up behind the Batarian, fired point blank to drop the alien's shields and finished by snapping the thing's neck.
"Venator, move forward." John ordered, bringing his DMR up and downing two more hostiles with precise shots to the forehead.
"Yes, sir!" Daniel responded. The ATEN drone squadron was the first to move in, adding its own firepower. Next was the HUSAD, Zack and Cole, everybody else followed them. Allowing the up-shielded Spartans to absorb the bit of fire that was leaking through or not focused on John.
"Cortana, patch me through to Red Team."
Cortana didn't respond for a moment. "Done, be quick though. They're on an old frequency, I'm not sure how long I can keep it coherent due to all the interference and EM being emitted."
"Understood." John responded. "Spartan Red Team, this is Commander Sierra-117. UNSC Infinity. Come in."
"This is Sierra-042." Spartan Douglas responded, "John, is that you?"
The world seemed to slow down to John.
One of his living brothers.
"Douglas, this is John." 117 responded,
"John, it's good to hear from you." Douglas responded, the rattle of MA5B fire easily audible over the comm link. "We have hostiles converging on all sides. If you could send in air support, that would be welcome!"
"Take cover." John ordered. "I'll have air support on station in five."
"Understood, sir. Red Team, out."
"Cortana, get me Palmer."
"Done." Cortana responded.
"Palmer here."
"Commander, I have a Spartan Team pinned down. What air forces do you have in this region?" John uploaded Red Team's position.
Sarah paused for a moment, "I can have an AC-220 Gunship and a squad of Hornets in the area in two minutes."
"Do it." John responded.
"Understood. Black-Dog Squadron, you're on deck." Palmer responded. "Palmer, out."
The roar of jet engines boomed overhead as four AV-14C Hornet Attack VTOLs and an AC-220 Vulture Gunship screeched past John and Fire Team Venator. The buzzing roar of .50 caliber and 30mm gatling railguns quickly followed, accented by the rapid screech of Argent VI missiles.
John blinked and the corpses of UNSC marines were stretched out around him, blue blood and Covenant bodies amassed around him. Looking down, he discovered he carried an MA37 Assault Rifle and Cortana's presence was no more. He looked up, a Spartan was there, dressed in gold and black armor. A flash and the Spartan's upper body disappeared in red mist.
"Sir."
John blinked again, he was back with Venator. Back on this Reach.
"Sir. We should rendezvous with Red Team." Daniel said.
John didn't respond, eyes locked ahead where the unknown Spartan had been a few seconds ago.
"Sir!" Daniel said, voice firm and a touch louder.
John looked back, "Follow me."
John's visor flashed red and blue, lines of static raced down it. Pain enveloped his body and he crumpled to his knees. "Cortana!"
Her image flashed across his visor, "John!"
"Cortana!" He barked, "What's happening!"
"I don't..." She was cut off in a screech of static.
"Cortana!"
"And so you come again, yet not back to our home. Back to a place where we both fled." A dark, booming voice groaned. "A decision that will haunt you for many years to come, Reclaimer."
"John!" Cortana yelled, "I'm here!"
"And your greatest love will burn." The voice said again, "The Mantle must be preserved...you are violators of my creators' work."
"Oh, just sod off already!" Cortana snarled.
John felt the pain fade and he grappled himself up off the ground. "What happened?"
"I don't know, there was something...it was hacking into your suit." Cortana responded. "It was cold, very cold."
John pulled himself up fully. He took a deep breath, focusing on the mission ahead. Those visions though... they were so much like the Gravemind's. "Come on. We need to find Red Team, then we can figure out what is going on."
He looked around, Venator had formed around him, Cole having the medical kit front and center.
"Sir?" Daniel asked, depolarizing his visor. "What was that?"
John looked back at him, "Nothing." He lied.
"Bullshit, sir." Daniel responded, "You're the Master Chief...well Commander now, but still. Nothing brings you to your knees that isn't some Cthulhu-wannabe."
"We'll deal with whatever happened later." John responded, looking back to Daniel. "We have a job to do."
"Sir, if this effects your combat viabil..." Daniel stuttered as Chief glided over to only a few inches away from his face.
"It won't. Now, we're going to go find Red Team." John said coldly, "Understood?"
"Yes, sir." Daniel responded.
Something was wrong.
Disabled Batarian Vessel
Jun checked his Basilisk Assault Rifle for one last time, racking back the bolt and examining the smart scope. Around him were four Spartan III's clad in all black armor; the headhunters. They shimmered as they moved, their active camouflage at its lowest setting. Several more marines in fully sealed armor flanked them, armed with a variety of either shotguns, DMRs, or Basilisk Assault Rifles.
Jun switched his HUD, a small video window showing an animation of the Freelancer's docking tube cutting through that of the Batarian vessel's hull. He braced himself as the multi-ton docking tube slammed into the hull. Nanites and cutting lasers instantly began their work, slicing and melting through the hull and creating a tight enough seal for Jun and his team to enter the vessel.
The indicator lights above the compartment flashed blue and then green. Jun brought his assault rifle up, active camo and stealth armor mod activating. The Headhunters quickly followed. ATEN and HUSAD drones sent out a pulse to the Marine's armor, cloaking them in a mass camo field.
"We have airtight seal." The computer drawled. "Hatch ready."
Jun glided forward and slammed his armored fist into the pulsating green button. He stepped back, snapping up his Basilisk and watching as the door slid open. Before the first bullet crossed the distance to strike Jun's shield, he had flung himself against the wall, sprinting through the fire and quickly dispatching the Batarian.
ATEN drones swooped in, followed by Marines and HUSAD drones. Bullets, grenades, and fists flew through the air as Marines took up firing positions behind the heavily armored forms of the HUSADs while the automated war machines strafed their targets with rounds.
Jun moved like a skater on the rink, dodging and weaving in between bursts of fire, punctuated by the cry of a Batarian soldier as an Obsidian blade sliced through their chests, leaving two cleaved sections. The occasional quick snap was barely heard as his suppressed Assault Rifle chewed through Kinetic Barriers and armor alike.
A Batarian primed a grenade and flung it. It stuck against a HUSAD and detonated, drone and the six Marines behind it vanishing in a massive explosion that nearly ruptured the hull of the small Batarian vessel.
The surviving Marines advanced forward and reprogrammed the ATEN drones to intercept grenades thrown. The HUSAD's turrets lashed out, rounds striking and detonating grenades.
A Marine slipped out of cover, firing as he hurried to the other side. A Batarian soldier took aim and fired; bullets struck the marine in the soldier and he dropped his rifle, screaming in pain as the arm was nearly severed. The quad-eyed grinned behind his helmet and fired again. Twenty bullets struck the Marine's chest and sent him flying against the wall. His chest was almost completely destroyed.
His squad retrieved their M44 Smart MOAB Surface-to-Surface Rocket Anti-Vehicle Weapon and fired it. A quartet of independent smart missiles shot out. The four 102mm missiles lanced across the distance and detonated, the Batarians and everything around them nstantly vaporized by the airburst and subsequent detonation. The rockets' computer system had scaled the detonation to fit the area; if it had been at full power and potential, the entire compartment and everything within 25 meters would have been destroyed and exposed to vacuum.
Jun felt charred chunks of alien slap against his shields and he rolled to the side, bringing up his machete and driving it through the torso of the last remaining alien, watching as the comparatively small alien sputtered and died. The Spartan pulled the blade out. As the Batarian dropped to its knees, he finished the alien off, slashing through the beast's neck and flinging the blood off.
Jun looked back, stashing his knife on his armor. The Marines had moved their dead and injured back into an air lock and were regrouping, using their drones as cover.
Shimmers of air caught Jun's attention as his Headhunters––Spartan IIIs specializing in stealth, assassinations and black ops––deactivated their active camo systems.
"Good work." Jun said neutrally.
"Thank you, sir." The lead one responded.
"Ramsey, how far away are we from the IFFs?" Jun asked.. He walked forward towards the only other door in the room. He reached out his hand and touched it. It was rusty and oddly warm, almost slick to the touch.
"Just behind that door, sir." Warrant Officer Ramsey replied. He looked at his tac-pad on his wrist and typed a few commands into the capacitive touch screen. "Composition is an unknown material, it's not going to come down easily."
Jun nodded and gestured for one of the combat engineers to move forward. The woman quickly adhered the breaching explosive along the door. She quickly gestured for everybody to get back before she pressed the firing stud. Plasma cutters burned through the resistance before shaped explosives shattered the door.
The dust quickly cleared and Jun stepped through the opening, Assault Rifle ready. Lights snapped on and what he saw made his stomach flip.
There were dozens of humans forming countless piles. Blood and other fluids coated the floor and the horrified expressions of the deceased seemingly stared directly at Jun. Body parts were strewn across the room and devices of torture hung from the wall.
"Captain Lasky, this is Headhunter Actual. We have a total loss, no living humans. They're all dead."
Lasky didn't respond for a few seconds, "Bring me the monsters who did this."
"Yes." Jun responded. "Yes, sir. What about the bodies?"
Lasky sighed over the land, "Scan their IFFs, get their names and basic information. We'll destroy the ship, our comrades shouldn't be given to the stars in this state. The other Batarian ships have been secured, we'll treat their captains as they did our brothers."
"Understood."
"Lasky, out."
En route to Red Team
"This is Sierra-117, requesting immediate assistance." John barked into this radio, "We have hostile armored forces moving towards us."
Venator had fanned out, using the bit of cover available to avoid the squadron of alien tanks' barrages. There was a sharp snap and a brilliant bolt screamed over John's head, slamming into a building behind him and gutting it completely.
John rolled to the side and fired fruitlessly at one of the tanks, drawing its fire away from his team. He quickly evaded as another railgun slug streaked past him and smacked into debris, cutting through it like a hot knife through warm butter.
"This is Atlan-1, we are on station, Commander."
John looked up, high in the sky was the unmistakable form of a AC-180 Trailblazer Gunship. Looking back down, he tapped several commands into his tac-pad. The enemy tanks were now painted a bright, neon green.
"Atlan-1, targets are marked in green. Fire when ready." John said. "Venator, take cover."
Green acknowledgment lights blinked as Venator ran for cover, diving behind thick barriers or pieces of debris. John grabbed one of his bubble shields and activated it, a bubble of energy encapsulating him. He squared his hips and brought his right hand out, a blue hard light shield springing to life.
Atlan-1 began firing. Two 105mm railgun slugs lanced down on the Batarian tanks, piercing their kinetic barriers and coring through their armor belt. 70mm slugs followed next, strafing the infantry lines and exterminating the damaged tanks. The two surviving war machines turned their attention to the sky and fired. John could see flares as the AC-180 was struck amidship and rolled to avoid fire, the electro-reactive armor protecting the gunship. Dozens of missiles streaked off its form and raced down, striking the remaining tanks with the first of an angry god. The tanks exploded, plumes of smoke and fire erupting from within and the aflame crew members crawling out, screaming in agony.
Another barrage of 70mm AP-I slugs silenced the screams and reduced any survivors to ashes and remains. One final 105mm MOAB round shot down from Atlan-1 and detonated, vaporizing everything within fifty meters––even the air.
"This is Atlan-1, targets neutralized."
"Understood, Sierra-117 out." John responded.
Atlan-1 banked and flew off, engaging its afterburners and streaking away at hypersonic velocities. Several Broadswords and F-106 Viper UCAV-F drone fighters followed it seconds later, wings laden with guns and bombs.
Venator left their cover and converged on John. He deactivated the bubble shield, picking up the emitter and placing it on is waist line again.
"I wish your friends had been a little bit more careful when they decided to commence their attack run." Zack said cynically.
John stared at the younger Spartan, face devoid of emotion. These certainly weren't his class' type of Spartans. Looking back away, John reloaded his Basilisk and walked towards the destroyed remains of the enemy tanks.
"Red Team, this is Sierra-117. We are five minutes out."
"Understood, sir." Douglas responded, "We have it under control and we have reports that fighting is dying out across the city. Alien forces are being routed as we speak."
John nodded, "Understood. We'll be at your position soon."
"Thank you." Douglas said, "And John?"
"Yes?"
"It's good to hear from you again, brother."
John smiled inwardly.
"And they are violators too." That dark voice whispered again.
UNSC Infinity
60 minutes post invasion
Interrogation Chamber
Jalokay looked up, four black eyes scanning the darkened interior that he was trapped in. He tried to get up, thrashing on his restraints only to discover them tightening with every bit of resistance that he exerted. Tugging again, he managed to bring his feet a few inches from the ground before the chains around them tightened suddenly. The table he was attached to seemingly shrunk and as his legs struck against the newly blunt edge, he heard a series of sickening crunches and cried out in pain as his legs snapped.
He withered in pain, trying to escape but was pushed back down on the table. A series of three blinding lights snapped on directly over his form. He winced as his eyes adjusted.
"So." A dry female voice called out, "You are scared, confused. In pain?"
The table became red hot and Jalokay screamed as his back was burned. The heat disappeared within a few seconds but he could feel his skin almost fuse with the metal.
"I'll take that as a yes." The woman said flatly. She stepped out of the shadows, brandishing a long, curved knife affixed to her waist. Her hands were clasped behind her back and dark eyes studied the prone Jalokay. She had a short, dark pony tail that made her appearance even more menacing.
"You bitch!" Jalokay snarled, "I'll kill you! The Alliance will pay!"
"Honey." She said, "I'm not Alliance."
"Then who are you?"
"I am Lieutenant Larson, Office of Naval Intelligence." She responded.
Jalokay strained his neck and spit at her. She dodged it and instead drew her blade.
She circled around the tethered Batarian, examining the edge of her blade. "I always did enjoy the Vikings. No, not the football team. They never won the Super Bowl, damn it. No, I'm talking about the ancient warriors; they had such interesting interrogation techniques––it got information out of people quickly, albeit some we wouldn't do on you.."
She pressed a button on a parallel pedestal and the Batarian's table inclined so that his legs were upwards. "Problem is, most of their prisoners died due to them. That's not a problem for us though."
"What are you going to do?" Jalokay asked.
"Me?" Annabelle asked, "I'm just going to get some information from you. If you don't mind, of course." She cracked a wicked smile.
"You aren't fools like the Alliance." The Batarian sneered.
"No, we're not." Annabelle stated. "We're UNSC."
Unknown Location
Operative Cross' footsteps reverberated across the chamber of the Illusive Man. She clenched in her left hand her standard datapad, intelligent eyes scanning the area and settling upon the sitting form of her employer. They had just received word from their operative in the Reach system.
The Illusive Man's hair was slicked back, as usual, and he had forgone the standard cigarette in place of a small glass of brandy. Numerous holographic displays floated around him and his oddly blue eyes scanned them. The star looming; and dominating the view of the chamber was still churning, a constant battle between blue and crimson plasma for dominance.
"Sir." Operative Michelle Cross said, "We have a casualty repor..."
The Illusive Man cut her off, "How many dead?"
"Four hundred." Cross responded, "Four hundred humans, all dead in cold blood."
"I know." The Illusive Man snapped, "I know how many of my brethren have been slain."
"This doesn't bother you? Four hundred people killed?" Cross growled, chucking the datapad into her superior's lap.
"Watch your tongue, Operative." He responded, standing up. He swallowed the bit of brandy remaining in the glass and set it down on the chair's arm rest. He glided towards the window, arms crossed.
"What is our plan? Casualties are much higher than we expected." Cross questioned.
The Illusive Man peered over his shoulder, "The dead, they were mainly from Cutter's crew. Correct?"
Cross nodded, "Yes, sir. The crew of the Infinity only lost a few people and those were on the ground."
"This was an unforeseen occurrence." The Illusive Man stated, "But our plan will commence as scheduled. Lasky and his Spartans will be changed."
"What do you mean?" Cross asked, "Four hundred dead will have a lasting impact."
"I know. We must adapt." He responded, "I must ask, why were casualties so high?"
"The Batarians fired on population centers from orbit and deployed shock troopers. They captured, tortured, raped, and killed." Cross said, tone laced with venomous hatred for the Batarians and for her superior's seemingly nonchalant reaction.
The Illusive Man bowed his head, "That fucking animal. I told him to minimize casualties, not wipe the god damn population out!" He snarled.
"Lasky captured several Batarian crews and vessels." Cross added.
"Their commanders?" The Illusive Man questioned. "Their commanders, did he capture them?"
Cross nodded, "Yes. They are in cells onboard the Infinity. They've been bound and Lasky is extracting information from them."
"Lasky will have them executed." The Illusive Man said, "His veil of civility will finally be shattered."
"You think..."
"No." Illusive Man interjected, "I know."
"Know what?"
"There is a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand." The Illusive Man responded, "And thus, the Alliance will be thrown into war. Tenzing will be detected soon...and with it, everything else will fall into place."
"Are you sure of that, sir?" Cross asked. Her doubts were increasing by the moment.
"Yes. And Lasky will do as he did when I knew him."
"What's that?"
"Endure."
"Are you sure?" Cross asked.
"My dear, I knew our fine captain for a long time—he won't fail." The Illusive Man said.
"And if he does fail?"
"Then we will all fall with him." He lit a new cigarette and took a draw from it.
"Die?" Cross growled, "For what? If the light of Cerberus goes out, so does the light of mankind."
"Hardly, my dear. We'd be preventing a much worse fate." The Illusive Man stated simply.
"A fate worse than slavery, death and abuse?"
"A fate where you are eternally tethered to a single mind, a fate where you are made to fight." He turned around and rolled his sleeve up, revealing intricate lines of glyphs and pulsating blue circuitry. "A fate to be an abomination."
Cross stepped back, "Are...are you?"
"Human?" The Illusive Man asked, "Of course. But not fully; he made sure of that." The Illusive man closed his eyes, "Even now, I can still feel his whisper."
"And who is he?"
"The Dark Son."
She pursed her lips and walked away, leaving her superior to stand there, examining his arm. The Illusive Man had been wrong before, albeit only a few times. But could he be wrong this time? Intelligence was getting harder to track when it came to the Infinity, and the Illusive Man had started to act strangely––lapses in judgment, errors.
She just hoped he wasn't wrong this time.
To be continued...
Next chapter, Tenzing is detected by the Infinity, Salarian Intelligence, and the fires of war are ignited. Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading.
3 Sith